Steam valve or the like



June 12, 1934.

J. R. GUILDFORD 1,962,558 STEAM VALVE OR THE LIKE Filed April 27, 1932 Inventor dgb E 6 1011%)";

flllorney or partly open positions Patented June 12, 1934 PATENT GFFIQE STEAM VALVE OR THE LIKE Joseph R. Guildford,

Cana

Application April 2'7,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in steam valves or the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a valve construction wherein the parts are protected against the destructive action of steam of high velocity and accumulation of scale formations, whereby the parts last longer and enable employing cracked of the parts whereby positive control of the amount of flow of steam through the valve is rendered practicable.

It is also an important object of my invention to construct the valve casings of valves of this type to prevent restriction of steam flow and assist the fluent and easy passage of steam therethrough.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide an arrangement or parts in a valve or the type described above, whereby the movable valve member is subjected while the valve is closed to steam pressure which assists in the valve members movement toward open position.

These and other objects or my invention, will be readily understood from a reading of the fol lowing description and drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration 1 have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. h

In the drawing:--

Figure 1 is a general vertical longitudinal sectional view through the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the valve head.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the numeral 5 generally designates the valve which comprises the casing 6, the coupling memher '7, the valve stem guide 8 carrying the packing member 9 through which operates the rotatable valve stem 10 carrying the hand wheel 11. The valve stem is threaded as indicated at 12 for cooperation with a threaded bore in the guide 8, and the inner end of the stem is provided with an enlargement in the form of an annular flange 13 which is received in a depression 14; in the top of the valve head 17 about which rises a neck or collar 15 which is exteriorly screw-threaded to receive the retaining member 16 for connecting the valve head 17 operatively with the valve stem 10.

The head 17 comprises a hollow cylindrical body having a closed top and an open bottom. The closed top of the head 17 will always be subjected to steam pressure while the valve is closed; so that assistance will be given by the steam pressure to opening movement of the head 17 and relieve considerable strain upon the valve stem Regina, Saskatchewan,

1932, Serial No; 607,850

12, the threaded bore in the guide 8, and the retaining member 16, at a time when such assistance is most needed. This is adapted to closely and slidably fit upon a vertically disposed openended tubular member 18 with which it has an outside engagement.

The tubular member 18 is carried upon a web 19, carried across the body of the valve which is concaved as indicated at 20. The body is expanded as indicated at 2% to provide a large passage between itself and the adjacent part of the web 19 so as to provide for free fiow'of steam through the opening 21 in the tubular member 18. It will be noted that the passage of steam through the valve'when it is open is direct and unobstructed so that friction is reduced to a minimum. The opening 21 is generally circum ierential and is horizontally elongated. It is obvious that as the head 17 is screweddown that the head 17 will progressively close off theopening 21 and body when this opening has been closed off by the head, that the valve isclosed, and the passage of steam therethrough positively prevented. Means of the head 17 for preventing the destructive action of steam at" high velocii and scale formation comprises the depending skirt 22 which depends below and radially inwardly of the rounded valve seat enga ing portion 23. It is obvious that as the depending skirt portion 22 crosses the opening 21 in the tubular member 18, the valve seat engaging portion 23 of the head will not be subjected to the initial impact of the steam passing through the valve at high velocity, but that the skirt 22 will receive this impact instead as it moves in advance of the valve seat engaging portion 23 and prevents direct initial contact of the steam at high velocity with the valve seat engaging portion 23. v

The seat engaging portion 23 of the valve head 1'7 is-rounded or convexed for the purpose of greatly increasing the area of this part of the valve head. Similarly the seat 26 with which the convex portion 23 engages is concaved to pro vide a correspondingly large area for seating the portion 23. The valve seating portion 23 and the seat 26 will be machined and ground to fit tight throughout their rounded areas. The object of providing this is that should the depending skirt portion 22 or the lower portion of the opening 21 become scored and worn, the seat engaging porxtion 23 and the valve seat 26 will still give service indefinitely, even though considerable scoring or wire drawing took place on the seat engaging portion 23 or on the seat 26. It is also evident that should a segment of the portion 23 become scored, the sides of the portion 23 would still engage the seat 26 tightly. It is also evident that should the sides of the seat 26 become scored or worn, the valve would still hold tightly. The portion 23 or the seat 26 must be scored or wire drawn completely around the arc in section before the valve will leak.

It is obvious that as the valve head 17 is screwed down the depending skirt 22 will close off the opening 21, and when this opening has been closed off by the depending skirt 22, the passage of steam through the opening is positively prevented. It is also obvious that whenever the depending skirt portion 22 crosses the opening 21 that the valve seat engaging portion 23 will not be subject to the initial impact of the steam as it passes through the valve at high velocity, but the skirt 22 will receive this impact instead, as it moves in advance of the valve seat engaging portion 23. The bottom portion of the opening 21 in the tubular member 18 is considerably elevated above the concaved seat 26 so as to have a protective ofiice similar to that of the depending skirt 22, with respect to the seat 26, and prevent direct initial contact of the steam at high velocity on the seat 26.

It is to be noted that no steam can positively pass through the valve until the lower end of the depending skirt 22 has been raised above the lower edge of the opening 21 in the tubular member 18. This arrangement enables the valve to be used in a cracked or partially open position without incurring any destructive effect on either the valve seat engaging portion 23 or the seat 26. Another novel feature of the invention is the arrangement of the tubular member 18 closely fitted to the valve head 17, which arrangement permits the valve to be installed and operated in any vertical or horizontal position without disturbing the guided operation of the valve head, which is essential for the proper seating of the valve head 17. The valve head 17 is free to rotate on the tubular member 18, so that the entire circumference of the depending skirt and of the seat engaging portion 23 may be brought into use by rotating the head 17, although only about one half of the circumference of the skirt 22 and of the seat engaging portion 23 can be in the line of flow of steam at any one time, the remaining half of the head being fully protected behind the tubular member 18.

As the valve head 17 is moved downwardly a groove 24 formed in the inner wall of the top of the head receives the upper end of the tubular member 18, and at the same time the depending valve seat 26 which is concaved to receive the valve seat engaging portion 23. It will be obvious that this arrangement provides a very close and non-leaking engagement of the parts, so that passage of steam through the valve is positively prevented.

The principal object of providing the structure recited is to prevent damage at all times to the valve seat 26 and the valve seat engaging portion 23 by the eroding action thereon of steam at high velocity.

Though I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and in structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A steam valve comprising a hollow valve body provided with an interior web across the body, said web having thereon a concaved valve seat portion and an open ended tubular guide which is spaced from the seat portion to define a skirt receiving groove, and has in one side a circumferentially arranged opening; and a tubular valve head having walls of relatively large cross section and a closed top arranged closely slidable on the tubular guide and having on its lower end a conformably convexed portion for engaging the said concaved portion, and a skirt depending below the convexed portion for moving across the opening in the guide in advance of the convex portion and entering the skirt receiving groove when the valve head is operated from open to fully closed position, and valve head operating means carried by the valve body.

2. In a steam valve including a valve casing, an interior web across the casing and provided with an opening, a tubular open ended guide rising from the edges of the opening, an annular valve seat spaced outwardly of and surrounding the guide so as to define therewith a skirt receiving groove, and a concaved portion on the seat; and a tubular valve head closely slidable on the guide for closing a circumferentially arranged opening in one side of the guide, the lower edge of the opening in the guide being elevated above the top of the valve seat so as to prevent initial impact of steam coming through the tubular guide on the valve seat, said valve head having on its lower end a convexed portion complementary to and adapted to engage with the concaved portion of the valve seat, and a skirt depending below the convexed portion to opening in the guide in advance of the convexed portion to prevent initial impact of steam on said convexed portion and seat in the skirt receiving groove while the convexed portion engages the concaved portion in the fully closed position of the valve, and valve head operating means carried by the casing.

JOSEPH R. GUILDFORD. 

